“Uh, if you haven’t noticed, we’re already together.” I do the quote thing with my fingers around the word together.
Farrah winks at me, “I have seen the pics, girl, and you guys look hot together. I’m just saying I see Britt's handiwork in trying to maintain the atmosphere.” They high five each other.
“Guys, it’s a business deal. That’s it. So, whatever you two are in on, I don’t want any part of it. I want to go out tonight, hang with my girls, hang with the guys, and have fun. We haven’t been out together in years.”
The last time we were all out together was when Jackson came home in between camp and the beginning of his rookie season. It was probably the last time he was able to go out without being recognized or accosted for the team he played for. We had a great night until some older girls I recognized that graduated with my brother and Jackson came over and crashed our table. That was the end of my enjoyable night trying to get Jackson to notice me. Of course, with my brother the cock blocker there, it wouldn’t have gotten very far, anyway.
“We’ll have a great time; don’t you worry your pretty little face about it,” she grabs my cheeks and scrunches them up, and lays a kiss on my lips. We all laugh.
“You’re right, some things never change!”
Chapter 13
Jackson
Our sausage fest is sitting around a large round table at the back of Moose’s. We’re already a round of beers in. I’m surprised we got Adam to come out tonight. He still hasn’t heard from Chelsea. I’m afraid to tell him it’s time to cut his losses, but I don’t want to add to his bad mood. When I stopped at his house earlier, I saw that some of her stuff was still hanging around his house, as I’m sure some of his stuff is at hers. It’s a messy situation.
Plus, he’s been working his ass off, so I’m glad he took time out tonight. Billy is being his usual self, scanning the crowd for his next victim. If the guy wasn’t so damn charming, I’d consider him a creep.
Tom is on duty tonight. Instead of college, he enlisted, did his four years, then came back here and got on the local police force. Serving and protecting, which is right up his alley. He’s quiet and reserved, a watchman in all sorts of the word.
Just then, I see the girls walk in. Fuck, Chess looks hot. Jeans that mold to her hips and make her ass look outstanding. A pale green tank top with thin straps that drops in the back, leaving her beautiful skin exposed because her hair is up in that ponytail again. And those heels, hot shit, those will star in my fantasies later tonight for sure.
Britt saunters over to Bobby, who leans back in his chair, his eyesroaming her body and up to her face. He leans in and runs his hand up her thigh, saying, “hey gorgeous, can I buy you a drink?”
“You can, but just so you know, I don’t kiss on the first date.”
“Who said anything about kissing?” he retorts.
She smacks his arm; I groan because I don’t need to picture my sister and her husband in any sort of way. She warns us guys to stay on our side of the bar until the girls are done catching up, then they’ll grace us with their presence.
I watch Bobby follow her with his eyes as she walks to the other table. Those two are so in love, it makes me sick. Don’t get me wrong, I love that he’s so good to her. But, dude, it’s my sister. I don’t need to see it in real time.
Ok, fine. I’m jealous. I think I’d like having a girlfriend, someone to rely on. It’s been a long while since I’ve felt I’ve been able to trust someone to like me forme, and not for what my name is. Like, a long, long while. Maybe never. I glance back at Francesca.
I trusther.
My thoughts are so fast it even catches me by surprise.
I continue to watch Chess as the girls grab a booth not too far away from us but in a perfect line of sight for me to keep an eye on her.
“Stop eye fucking my sister before Adam sees you,” Billy says. “Even Stevie Wonder can see how hard you’re staring.”
I raise a brow at him. “She’s my girlfriend. I’m allowed to look.”
He scoffs, “You don’t gotta convince me. I see what I see.”
I just roll my eyes, trying to dissuade his words.
Billy relaxes a little, but I tense up at his next words. “Relax, hot shot, I’m not going to spill your secret.”
“You’re in on the secret. Knock it off.”
He gives me a patronizing smile.
“Not tonight, bro.”
He shrugs.
